Optimum Nutrient Level on Growth,Flowering, and Rhizome Production in Curcuma

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effect of liquid fertilizer treatments on growth, flowering, leaf mineral content, and rhizome production during forcing of Curcuma alismatifolia ‘Chiang Mai Pink’ and C. thorelii ‘Chiang Mai Snow’. Plants were irrigated with 200 mL of 1.3 g L^?1 of 15 nitrogen (N) -7 phosphorus (P) -14 potassium (K) water soluble fertilizer at 0, 1.3, 2.7, 4.0, 5.3, or 6.6 g L^?1 weekly. Days to flower, flower stem length, and leaf length were recorded, the mineral contents in leaves were analyzed, and the number of rhizomes with tuberous roots were recorded at harvest. Flowering of the first inflorescence in both C. alismatifolia ‘Chiang Mai Pink’ and C. thorelii ‘Chiang Mai Snow’ was significantly delayed when plants received 6.6 g L^?1 fertilizer as compared to the control plants. The number of rhizomes with more than 4 tuberous roots was highest when plants received 2.7 g L^?1 fertilizer. No medium-sized rhizomes with more than seven tuberous roots were produced when ‘Chiang Mai Pink’ plants received 0, 4.0, 5.3, and 6.6 g L^?1 fertilizer. Based on the production of rhizomes with four to six tuberous roots, optimum concentration of 15N -7P -14K water soluble fertilizer is 2.7 g L^?1 for C. alismatifolia ‘Chiang Mai Pink’ and 1.3 to 4.0 g L^?1 for C. thorelii ‘Chiang Mai Snow’. Although high boron content occurred only in the outer part of the second leaf when fertilizer concentrations were increased, leaf-margin burn (LMB) symptoms were not observed in both species and this could not be related to the production of rhizomes.     

Teak (Tectona grandis), fruit trees and other perennials used by hill farmers of northern Laos

Hilly topography and inaccessible markets leave limited alternatives for Lao upland farmers who grow rice in slash-and-burn systems. They plant banana, mango, papaya, coconut and other perennials and collect forest products, specially bamboo shoot, banana inflorescence, rattan, cardamom, and benzoin for home consumption and market. Teak is the most important perennial planted on upland fields but farmers having teak are more likely to belong to the lowland ethnic groups and own lowland rice fields. Farmers preferred teak over fruit trees and coffee because of the better market potential and 82% considered cash income or wood for construction and 18% the securing of land tenure as major reasons for planting teak. Insufficient financial resources, non-availability of land, lack of seedlings, lack of labor and lack of experience were regarded as the main reasons for not planting teak by 41, 39, 35, 28 and 13% of non-teak growers, respectively. Plantations are often interplanted with rice for the first 1–3 years. Resource-poor families generally cannot risk the long-term investments and credit or modified systems combining food, livestock, and timber production are necessary to allow them to take part in the potentially lucrative teak production.     

W火焰锅炉燃用劣质煤的燃烧调整——以大唐华银株洲发电有限公司为例

针对煤源严重不足,对1025t/h W型火焰锅炉进行最大限度使用本地攸县劣质煤的掺烧调整试验.通过对一次风速、风温,送风量及二次风挡板,消旋叶片、乏气风挡板,以及入炉煤的混合掺烧方式等方面的调整和试验.使锅炉具备了掺烧75％攸县劣质煤的能力,适应煤种的能力大大增强.     

Mass-processing method for aging otoliths of walleye pollock <Emphasis Type=Italic>Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> using black resin

ABSTRACT:   The reliability of a mass-processing aging method for walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma was examined. The method is a half-otolith method, in which 10–20 otoliths are embedded simultaneously in black resin and the mass-processed half plane section is viewed under reflected light (black-resin method). Seasonal periodicity of otolith growth was confirmed by the monthly observations of the percent of translucent zone at the otolith edge, and interannual variation in age distribution detected the progression of dominant year-classes. These results support the assumption that the translucent zone is formed once a year. The black-resin method was compared to the break–burn method, which is the standard technique for this species. The estimated ages of these methods were not biased throughout the age range examined. The coefficient of variation in the black-resin method (4.9–5.7%) was similar to those of the break–burn method (3.5–5.5%). These results suggest that the black-resin method is reliable as an aging method for walleye pollock.     

Mastication and prescribed fire impacts on fuels in a 25-year old ponderosa pine plantation, southern Sierra Nevada

Due to increases in tree density and hazardous fuel loading in Sierra Nevadan forests, land management is focusing on fuel reduction treatments to moderate the risk of catastrophic fires. Fuel treatments involving mechanical and prescribed fire methods can reduce surface as well as canopy fuel loads. Mastication is a mechanical method which shreds smaller trees and brush onto the surface fuel layer. Little data exist quantifying masticated fuel beds. Despite the paucity of data on masticated fuels, land managers desire fuel loading, potential fire behavior and fire effects such as tree mortality information for masticated areas. In this study we measured fuel characteristics before and after mastication and mastication plus prescribed burn treatments in a 25-year old ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson) plantation. In addition to surface fuel characteristics and tree data collection, bulk density samples were gathered for masticated material. Regressions were created predicting masticated fuel loading from masticated fuel bed depth. Total masticated fuel load prior to fire treatment ranged from 25.9 to 42.9 Mg ha⁻¹, and the bulk density of masticated fuel was 125 kg m⁻³. Mastication treatment alone showed increases in most surface fuel loadings and decreases in canopy fuel loads. Masticated treatment in conjunction with prescribed burning reduced both surface and canopy fuel loads. Detailed information on fuel structure in masticated areas will allow for better predictions of fire behavior and fire effects for fire in masticated fuel types. Understanding potential fire behavior and fire effects associated with masticated fuels will allow managers to make decisions on the possibility of mastication to create fuel breaks or enhance forest health.